Senior Commercial Finance Manager

Adapro Talent Partners are delighted to be supporting a large, Bedfordshire based multi-site business with their recruitment of a Senior Commercial Finance Manager, on a permanent basis.

Reporting to the Head of Commercial Finance, and partnering with the Trading Director, this role will play a key role in providing commercial insight, challenge and support to drive business performance. This is a hands‑on, highly visible role that blends financial rigour with real‑world commercial understanding.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Finance Business Partnering

• Partner the Trading Director and wider leadership team, providing commercial insight, challenge and support to drive business performance.
• Support the execution of the business plan across the estate, ensuring initiatives deliver sustainable growth and profitability.
• Influence decision-making through strong financial analysis, robust challenge and clear recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders

Performance Reporting & Insight

• Provide weekly insight and performance analysis across brands.
• Lead analysis of key performance drivers including sales, volume, mix, margin and promotional activity.
• Deliver timely and actionable recommendations following weekly and monthly performance reviews.
• Identify risks and opportunities, taking action to resolve issues or escalating where appropriate.

Financial Reporting & Control

• Own period-end accounting, reporting and analysis.
• Deliver robust gross margin accounting and detailed variance analysis to explain performance versus budget, forecast and prior year.
• Ensure key financial controls, governance processes and reporting standards are effectively managed and maintained.
• Support audits and ensure financial processes remain compliant and fit for purpose.

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Own financial planning processes.
• Provide clear visibility of risks and opportunities, ensuring stakeholders understand performance outlook and required actions.
• Support investment decisions, commercial negotiations and strategic initiatives through financial modelling and analysis.
• Drive forecast accuracy and continuous improvement in planning processes.
• Ownership of capital appraisals that are robust, based on good commercial assumptions and measured/tracked consistently. Business partnering with the Snr Investment Manager to ensure reporting is transparent and commercially sound.

Commercial Performance Reviews

• Own performance reviews for Catering, ensuring stakeholders have clear insight into trading performance.
• Lead discussions around operational and commercial drivers of performance.
• Track delivery of performance improvement initiatives and financial commitments.
• Support post-implementation reviews to evaluate business initiatives and investment returns.

Process Improvement & Projects

• Drive continuous improvement in commercial finance processes, controls and reporting.
• Support the implementation of new initiatives, systems and business processes across Finance and the wider business.
• Champion data quality, automation and efficiency improvements.
• Undertake ad hoc reporting, analysis and project work to support business priorities.

Leadership

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Analyst.
• Support the broader leadership and development of the Commercial Finance team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and delivering business value.

This role will suit a Professionally Qualified individual who possesses strong commercial finance experience, and the ability to simplify complex analysis into clear messages that influence decisions. They will be a strong relationship‑builder who collaborates well across Finance, Commercial and operations.

Previous experience in a multi-site, retail environment would be advantageous, though not essential.

Our Client is offering a Salary of £65,000 - £70,000 + £5,800 Car Allowance + 20% Bonus + Benefits.